80 Sqn 16 Mar 43

[Chris Goss]

One this day, two Hurricanes from this sqn intercepted a Ju 88 over Tobruk. Can anyone confirm the names of the two pilots as being WO Smaithes & FS McCley?

[Brian]

Hi Chris

I don't have any claim listed for the day! That doesn't mean to say there wasn't one by 80 Squadron, though.

Cheers
Brian

[Chris Goss]

They claimed a probable which was an undamaged Ju 88 A-4 of 2/123

[Bruce Lander]

Hi Chris;

the combat you mention is touched upon in "STRIKE TRUE -The Story of80 Squadron RAF" by C.F.Shores (Air Britain 1986)
on pp 30 he writes that on 16th March 1943 two Hurricanes were scrambled from Bu Amud in the early morning flown by W/O Smathers & F/Sgt.McCloy,
they intercepted a Ju.88 and claimed it as probably destroyed. ( in the appendix listing the unit claims F/Sgt McCloy is noted as McElroy ! )

Bruce Lander

[Håkan]

Hello,

The pilots were Canadians and Warrant Officers Thomas “Tom” L. McCloy and Leslie L. “Les” Smathers. This was 80 Sq. last claim in the North African campaign.

Smathers was wounded on 28 March after a landing accident with “EY-J”. He also claimed a damaged Ju88 in the Tobruk area on 3 March 1943.
He served in 123 Sq. from 31 March 1942 to 28 August 1942 and then in 80 Sq. to 27 July 1944 when he was tour expired. He returned to 80 Sq. between 28 February 1945 until 28 May 1945 when his second tour expired.

McCloy served in 123 Sq. from 31 March 1942 to 28 August 1942 and then in 80 Sq. to 18 October 1943 when he went to 274 Squadron.

Best wishes/Håkan

[Chris Goss]

Thanks all. For completeness, what they had a go at was a Ju 88 A-4 coded 4U+KK flown by Uffz Lothar Roehrich. He had taken off from Castelli at 0539, landing 0832 and the objective was recce from Alexandria to Fuka. They got back undamaged despite what the 2 80 Sqn pilots thought!

[Håkan]

According to one source (Hurricanes over the Sand Part One) the observer, Robert Danek from Vienna, reported that this was his 16th operational sortie and that they returned to Crete with the tail of the aircraft badly holed. Do you have the same guy in Uffz Roehrich's crew?

/Håkan

[Stéphane Lehuédé]

Hello

In another source, an article about 2.(F)/123 published on the french monthly "Avions", according the statement of the observer, Robert Danek, his Ju 88 had the tail riddled by 3 Hurricanes over Africa on 16 march 1943.

[Chris Goss]

All I have is 'besatzung'. However, it is possible that there were 2 2/123 aircraft operating in the same area. However, I cannot be certain but all I know is Roehrich was chased for 12 minutes-odd that 2 Ju 88s from the same unit could have been doing the same thing in the same area at the same time? Does anyone have a note of Danek's pilot?

[Chris Goss]

There were just 2 claims for Ju 88s that day-80 Sqn (0725-0825) and 43 Sqn (40 km NE Bone, 1055-1200 hrs). The former matches the 4U+KK times unless someone has something more accurate for Danek?